Argyranthemum plant named cotton candy

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Argyranthemum  plant named ‘Cotton Candy’, particularly characterized by its mounded, decorative inflorescence type in which the ray florets become progressively shorter in length toward the center to produce a ruffled appearance and a mounded effect, light-pink inflorescence color, dense flowering on short stems, and compact growing habit.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofArgyranthemum plant, botanically known as Argyranthemum frutescens, andreferred to by the variety denomination ‘Cotton Candy’.

The new cultivar is the product of a planned breeding program carriedout by the inventor in Balmoral Village, New South Wales, Australia. Thenew cultivar is the result of a cross made by the inventor on Sep. 10,2002, and was discovered in the same location by the inventor in March2003 as a seedling growing among other seedling plants of the cross. Thefemale parent is proprietary, and identified by the code numberSLX01020. 1. The male parent is also proprietary, and identified by thecode number SLX01005.22. Neither parent is patented.

The first act of asexual reproduction of the new cultivar wasaccomplished by vegetative cuttings in March 2003 in a controlledenvironment in Balmoral Village, New South Wales, Australia. The newcultivar has been successfully propagated by both vegetative cuttingsand tissue culture. Horticultural examination of controlled floweringsof successive plantings through at least eight generations has shownthat the unique combination of characteristics of the new cultivar arefirmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexualreproduction.

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment, such as temperature, light intensity, and daylengthwithout, however, any variance in genotype. The following observations,measurements, and comparisons describe plants grown in New South Wales,Australia, and Bonsall, Calif., under normal commercial growingconditions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and have beendetermined to be basic characteristics of the new cultivar, which, incombination, distinguish the new cultivar as being new and distinct:

-   -   1. The inflorescences are in the form of a mounded decorative in        which the more central rays are much shorter, centrally defining        a very small central disc. Overall, the inflorescences have a        ruffled appearance.    -   2. The plant habit is very compact.    -   3. The foliage is very dense due to the large number of        secondary and tertiary shoots which are formed. The leaves are        narrow and finely dissected to accommodate the dense foliage.    -   4. The inflorescence stems are short.    -   5. Floriferous habit.    -   6. The inflorescence color when the inflorescences open is a        very light pink, darkening somewhat as the flowers fully open.

The new cultivar is distinguished from its female parent by its ruffledinflorescence type, compact growth habit, and pink inflorescence color.The female parent has an anemone inflorescence type, open growth habit,and white inflorescence color. The male parent has a singleinflorescence type and red inflorescence color.

The new cultivar can also be compared to the cultivar ‘Summer StarsPink’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,939 and characterized by itsmedium plant height and long inflorescence stems. By contrast, ‘CottonCandy’ is very compact and has short stems. The inflorescence type andcolor of the respective cultivars are similar.

‘Cotton Candy’ is distinguished in a similar manner from the CultivarOHARO1245, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,283 and knowncommercially under the name ‘Madeira Double Pink’. The comparisoncultivar has a tall plant height and long inflorescence stems, comparedto the compact habit and short stems of ‘Cotton Candy’. In addition, theinflorescence color of ‘Cotton Candy’ is a darker pink. The flowershapes of the respective cultivars are similar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC DRAWINGS

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet shows a front-perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of the new cultivar. The photo at the topof the sheet comprises a close-up view showing inflorescences justopening and fully open. The colors in the photographs are as true as isreasonably possible to obtain with colored reproductions of this type.The color values stated below in the detailed description are accurate.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart. The values are based on plantmaterial grown in Bonsall, Calif.

-   Botanical classification: Argyranthemum frutescens cv ‘Cotton    Candy’.    -   -   Parentage.—        -   Seed parent.—SLX01020.1.        -   Pollen parent.—SLX01005.22.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By leaf cuttings and by tissue culture.        -   Time and temperature to initiate roots.—Approximately 7 to            10 days at 20 degrees Centigrade. A rooted cutting is            produced in approximately 28 to 32 days at 20 degrees            Centigrade.-   Rooting description: Fibrous, moderately thick, white in color.-   Rooting habit: Very dense, freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   General appearance.—Upright but compact, mounded, with a            uniform canopy; a ball of inflorescences.        -   Shape.—Round.        -   Habit.—‘Cotton Candy’ is a very compact plant with many            laterals and dense, needle-like foliage; nice, short, tidy            plant shape.        -   Plant height.—27 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—34 cm.        -   Lateral branching.—Very free-branching. Laterals spiral up            main stem from nearly every node. Secondary laterals also            have many tertiary laterals. Number of primary lateral            branches: 20. Number of secondary lateral branches: Each has            about 6-8 tertiary shoots. Length of primary branches: About            14 cm to 24 cm. Diameter: About 0.4 cm to 0.5 cm.        -   Internode length.—About 1.5 cm to 2.0 cm.        -   Texture.—Smooth, woody at base.        -   Color.—147C when young; 199B for bark on woody stem.        -   Foliage.—Generally flat, finely dissected and very dense.        -   Arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Simple or compound.—Simple.        -   Length.—About 3.0 cm to 4.5 cm.        -   Width.—About 2.0 cm to 2.7 cm.        -   Shape.—Finely dissected with 5-7 narrow lobes.        -   Sinuses.—Parallel.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire, but with deep sinuses.        -   Texture.—Smooth and glabrous.        -   Color.—Immature; upper surface, 147A. Lower surface, 147B.            Mature; upper surface, 147A. Lower surface, 147B.-   Venation: 147B on both upper and lower surfaces.    -   -   Petiole.—Length, 1.0 cm. to 1.5 cm. Diameter, 0.2 cm. Color,            upper surface, 147C. Lower surface, 147D.-   Other foliage characteristics: Leaves are narrow, finely dissected,    and very dense due to the large number of secondary and tertiary    shoots. Leaf surfaces have a slightly waxy cuticle, which    morphologically suggests drought tolerance.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   In general.—Not a true daisy, but a small, mounded multiplex            decorative with significantly reduced central rays that            progress to a very tiny central disc.        -   Type.—Multiplex decorative.        -   Orientation.—Upright on terminal stem and tending to curl            upright on peduncle of lateral shoots.        -   Longevity.—34 weeks.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Quantity.—About 12 open inflorescences and 10 buds per            lateral stem.        -   Size.—Total diameter: About 4 cm. Depth: 1.2 cm.        -   Diameter of disc.—The very tiny central disc results in a            multiplex decorative type with a burgundy eye, the color of            immature disc florets. The eye tends to disappear as the            inflorescence ages and the disc florets open.        -   Receptacle.—Diameter, 1.6 cm. Height, 0.5 cm.-   Buds (just before anthesis):    -   -   Height.—1.0 cm.-   Shape: Rounded but with a flat top.-   Color: 157C.-   Ray florets:    -   -   Quantity per flower.—About 146.        -   Shape.—Ligulate. Length: Highly variable due to            inflorescence type. Outer rays, approximately 1.8 cm. Inner            rays, about 0.7 cm. Width: Also variable; outer and inner            rays approximately 0.5 cm and 0.25 cm, respectively. Apex:            Minutely tridentate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture:            Smooth, velvety.        -   Aspect.—When inflorescences are young, ray florets lay flat,            but as inflorescence ages, older rays reflex backward as the            smaller center rays stand up with a sort of corona effect.            This produces a deeper, mounded display.        -   Color.—When opening: Upper surface, 65C at tips. Lower            surface, whiter than 155D. Mature: Upper surface, 73C. Lower            surface, 73D.-   Other comments: Between disc florets and flat ligulate ray florets    there are approximately 3 whorls of transitional florets (about 40    in all) that are tiny and tubular but with small, flat, ray-like    tabs.-   Disc florets:    -   -   Quantity.—Approximately 28.        -   Shape.—Tubular. Apex: 5-tipped. Base: Fused into tube.        -   Length.—0.3 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.1 cm.        -   Color.—Immature 183A. Mature, lighter than 73D.-   Involucral bracts:    -   -   Quantity.—About 24.        -   Length.—0.4 cm.        -   Width.—0.2 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptical.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Truncate.        -   Margin.—Entire, curved.        -   Color.—Upper surface 147C. Lower surface 146B.-   Peduncle:    -   -   Strength.—Good.        -   Aspect.—Terminal is upright. Laterals, 45-60 degrees from            vertical.        -   Length.—Terminal peduncle, 8 cm. Fourth peduncle, 5.4 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 0.15 cm.        -   Texture.—Smooth, longitudinally ridged.        -   Color.—146C.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—Not apparent on tiny disc florets. The new cultivar            is functionally sterile.        -   Pistils.—On ray florets only; one per ray floret; 0.6 cm on            largest ray floret.        -   Stigmas.—Bipartite shape. Color, 163B.        -   Styles.—Length, 0.3 cm. Color, 145C.-   Other inflorescence characteristics: The ray florets are highly    variable in size, becoming progressively smaller toward the center.    The larger and medium-sized rays lie flat when young, but reflex    back with age. The smaller center rays tend to stand upright and are    a little curly. These have burgundy tips when young and are    displaced when the disc florets open. All of these characteristics    produce a mounded inflorescence, with the flowering being prolific    and held above dense foliage. Since the habit is very compact, the    effect is nearly a ball of mounded inflorescences.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Argyranthemum plant named CottonCandy, as illustrated and described.